A Memoir of Jane Austen by her nephew

CHAPTER X

Observations on the Novels

It is not the object of these memoirs to attempt a criticism
on Jane Austen's novels. Those particulars only have been
noticed which could be illustrated by the circumstances of
her own life; but I now desire to offer a few observations
on them, and especially on one point, on which my age
renders me a competent witness -- the fidelity with which they
represent the opinions and manners of the class of society
in which the author lived early in this century. They do
this the more faithfully on account of the very deficiency
with which they have been sometimes charged -- namely, that
they make no attempt to raise the standard of human life,
but merely represent it as it was. They certainly were not
written to support any theory or inculcate any particular
moral, except indeed the great moral which is to be equally
gathered from an observation of the course of actual
life -- namely, the superiority of high over low principles,
and of greatness over littleness of mind. These writings are
like photographs, in which no feature is softened ; no ideal
expression is introduced, all is the unadorned reflection of
the natural object; and the value of such a faithful
likeness must increase as time gradually works more and more
changes in the face of society itself. A remarkable instance
of this is to be found in her portraiture of the clergy. She
was the daughter and the sister of clergymen, who certainly
were not low specimens of their order: and she has chosen
three of her heroes from that profession; but no one in
these days can think that either Edmund Bertram or Henry
Tilney had adequate ideas of the duties of a parish
minister. Such, however, were the opinions and practice then
prevalent among respectable and conscientious clergymen
before their minds had been stirred, first by the
Evangelical, and afterwards by the High Church movement
which this century has witnessed. The country may be
congratulated which, on looking back to such a fixed
landmark, can find that it has been advancing instead of
receding from it.

The long interval that elapsed between the completion of
Northanger Abbey in 1798, and the commencement of
Mansfield Park in 1811, may sufficiently account for any
difference of style which may be perceived between her three
earlier and her three later productions. If the former
showed quite as much originality and genius, they may
perhaps be thought to have less of the faultless finish and
high polish which distinguish the latter. The characters of
the John Dashwoods, Mr Collins, and the Thorpes stand out
from the canvas with a vigour and originality which cannot
be surpassed; but I think that in her last three works are
to be found a greater refinement of taste, a more nice sense
of propriety, and a deeper insight into the delicate anatomy
of the human heart, marking the difference between the
brilliant girl and the mature woman. Far from being one of
those who have over-written themselves, it may be affirmed
that her fame would have stood on a narrower and less firm
basis, if she had not lived to resume her pen at Chawton.

Some persons have surmised that she took her characters from
individuals with whom she had been acquainted. They were so
life-like that it was assumed that they must once have
lived, and have been transferred bodily, as it were, into
her pages. But surely such a supposition betrays an
ignorance of the high prerogative of genius to create out of
its own resources imaginary characters, who shall be true to
nature and consistent in themselves. Perhaps, however, the
distinction between keeping true to nature and servilely
copying any one specimen of it is not always clearly
apprehended. It is indeed true, both of the writer and of
the painter, that he can use only such lineaments as exist,
and as he has observed to exist, in living objects;
otherwise he would produce monsters instead of human beings;
but in both it is the office of high art to mould these
features into new combinations, and to place them in the
attitudes, and impart to them the expressions which may suit
the purposes of the artist; so that they are nature, but not
exactly the same nature which had come before his eyes; just
as honey can be obtained only from the natural flowers which
the bee has sucked; yet it is not a reproduction of the
odour or flavour of any particular flower, but becomes
something different when it has gone through the process of
transformation which that little insect is able to effect.
Hence, in the case of painters, arises the superiority of
original compositions over portrait painting. Reynolds was
exercising a higher faculty when he designed Comedy and
Tragedy Contending for Garrick, than when he merely took a
likeness of that actor. The same difference exists in
writings between the original conceptions of Shakespeare and
some other creative geniuses, and such full-length
likenesses of individual persons, 'The Talking Gentleman'
for instance, as are admirably drawn by Miss Mitford. Jane
Austen's powers, whatever may be the degree in which she
possessed them, were certainly of that higher order. She did
not copy individuals, but she invested her own creations
with individuality of character. A reviewer in the
Quarterly speaks of an acquaintance who, ever since
the publication of Pride and Prejudice, had been
called by his friends Mr Bennet, but the author did not know
him. Her own relations never recognised any individual in
her characters; and I can call to mind several of her
acquaintance whose peculiarities were very tempting and easy
to be caricatured of whom there are no traces in her pages.
She herself, when questioned on the subject by a friend,
expressed a dread of what she called such an 'invasion of
social proprieties'. She said that she thought it quite fair
to note peculiarities and weaknesses, but that it was her
desire to create, not to reproduce; 'besides,' she added, 'I
am too proud of my gentlemen to admit that they were only Mr
A. or Colonel B.' She did not, however, suppose that her
imaginary characters were of a higher order than are to be
found in nature; for she said, when speaking of two of her
great favourites, Edmund Bertram and Mr Knightley: 'They are
very far from being what I know English gentlemen often
are.'

She certainly took a kind of parental interest in the beings
whom she had created, and did not dismiss them from her
thoughts when she had finished her last chapter. We have
seen, in one of her letters, her personal affection for
Darcy and Elizabeth; and when sending a copy of Emma
to a friend whose daughter had been lately born, she wrote
thus: I trust you will be as glad to see my Emma, as
I shall be to see your Jemima.' She was very fond of
Emma, but did not reckon her being a general
favourite; for, when commencing that work, she said, 'I am
going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much
like.' She would, if asked, tell us many little particulars
about the subsequent career of some other people. In this
traditionary way we learned that Miss Steele never succeeded
in catching the Doctor; that Kitty Bennet was satisfactorily
married to a clergyman near Pemberley, while Mary obtained
nothing higher than one other uncle Philip's clerks, and was
content to be considered a star in the society of Meriton;
that the 'considerable sum' given by Mrs Norris to William
Price was one pound; that Mr Woodhouse survived his
daughter's marriage, and kept her and Mr Knightley from
settling at Donwell, about two years; and that the letters
placed by Frank Churchill before Jane Fairfax, which she
swept away unread, contained the word 'pardon'. Of the good
people in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion we
know nothing more than what is written: for before those
works were published their author had been taken away from
us, and all such amusing communications had ceased for ever.

This presentation of A Memoir of Jane Austen by her nephew
is Copyright 2001 by P.J. LaBrocca.
It may not be copied, duplicated,
stored or transmitted in any form without written permission.
The text is in the public domain.